Sunday – June 9, 2013, “What Makes Biblical Prophecy Different?”

Posted on June 12, 2013 by PastorAndy

June 9, 2013 – Read the Word on Worship

What Makes Biblical Prophecy Different? from Sunrise Community Church on Vimeo.

Prophecy. The word conjures up different meanings for different people. Our view of prophecy is usually based on what we have been taught by our denomination or what seems to fit our personal hopes and desires most. Denominational teaching learned at an early age or at an impressionable time in life and reinforced by repetition may be hard to shake. Also, our understanding of prophecy is frequently based on what we think God would or should do. In other words, what we would do if we were God.
Join us this Sunday as Elder Thom Rachford returns to the pulpit to continue his series on understanding biblical prophecy. Worship begins at 8:45 AM with refreshments served before our monthly prayer meeting at 10:30 AM. We hope to share fellowship with you.

Word On Worship – June 9, 2013 Download / Print

1 Corinthians 14:33
“… for God is not a God of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints..”

Prophecy. The word conjures up different meanings for different people. Our view of prophecy is usually based on what we have been taught by our denomination or what most seems to fit our personal hopes and desires. Denominational teaching learned at an early age or at an impressionable time in life and reinforced by repetition may be hard to shake. Also, our understanding of prophecy is frequently based on what we think God would or should do. In other words, what we would do if we were God.

Our view of what and how God is doing things must grow out of his prophetic word. We must let the prophecy and indeed all of God’s word shape our view. We should not start with a particular view and then “make” prophecy fit that view. Attempts to do this result in people, some Godly and very learned teachers, accepting only prophecy that conforms to their preconceived ideas. They want to throw out any prophecy that does not seem to fit their preconceived and entrenched view. Yes, entrenched, because apparently, no amount of study or revelation causes them to change their position.

Because it does not fit with the preconceived structure of some denominations and church bodies, they disregard or refuse to teach certain books of scripture in whole or in part. Frequently the excuse is these prophecies are too hard for man to understand. If that is true, shame on God. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 teaches 16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17 so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. God is either a mischievous trickster for giving man a book that he cannot understand under the guise of presenting all scripture as valuable or he is unable to keep evil men from inserting wrong teaching into his Holy Book. You can see how this kind of thinking would undermine God’s word, power and authority as well as His deep desire to have men see and understand His plan for relationship. Who would want this result? Satan, of course.

Sophisticated teachers, however, frequently don’t throw the prophecy out; that would be too obviously a rejection of God’s word. What they most often do is say, “what this prophecy appears to say is not what it means.” They say it is symbolic of something else and then they fill in the blank. Or they say it is a metaphor or allegory of a spiritual concept and not physical or material in any way. Often the prophecy is said to be about heaven and not earth, even if it refers to earth or physical things.

The question is illustrated by the following. How can one believe the prophecy that a virgin should be with child (the Messiah) and reject the prophecy of the Messiah’s physical return to earth? A virgin being with child is the supreme oxymoron. “With child” means pregnant – a virgin by definition has not had sex and in this world no child is conceived without sex. Yet Isaiah prophesied this nearly 700 years before it happened. And it happened. This virgin birth is believed by many. Yet many of those who believe in the prophecy of the virgin birth, reject the prophecy of Christ’s physical return to the Mount of Olives as prophesied in Zechariah 14:4. (They still however believe the same prophet for the Zechariah 9:9 prophecy that Christ would enter Jerusalem on a donkey.) How is the virgin birth less credible to believe than Christ’s physical return to earth on the Mount of Olives?

What then is the answer? How should we view prophecy? View every line of scripture as literal unless the language uses “as” or “like” which indicate a picture of rather than the real thing. Some parts of scripture are obviously poetic and should be viewed as such. The key to discernment is constant study of all of scripture. You will find there may be parts you do not agree with or like, but they are God’s word to you. Keep studying as you ask the Holy Spirit to reveal truth and understanding to you. He will reveal them as Jesus said in John 14:26: But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.

God is not the author of confusion. 1 Corinthians 14:33 for God is not a God of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints. God has made His word clear enough for the one who diligently studies it to understand and complex enough to discourage the casual seeker of pat answers or just information. God placed His prophecy in the scriptures for your understanding and benefit. It is revelation of the living God who knows the end from the beginning.

Sunday – June 2, 2013, “Jesus Arrested, Follower Barely Escapes”

Posted on June 4, 2013 by PastorAndy

June 2, 2013 – Read the Word on Worship

Jesus Arrested, Follower Barely Escapes from Sunrise Community Church on Vimeo.

Mark’s version of the arrest of our Lord conveys a grim realism. A large mob deputized by the temple rulers converges on the garden of Gethsemane armed with swords and clubs as if Jesus were some terrorist bandit. But Jesus has been teaching in their temple all week long with nothing to hide and no revolution planned. Ironically, Jesus chastised the rulers of the temple for turning His Father’s house of prayer into a den of thieves and robbers. Now temple goons, led by Judas, arrest Him after His prayer as if He were a robber.
Join us in our continuing study of the Gospel of Mark as we learn about the power and sovereignty of our Lord Jesus as He delivers His disciples from arrest and delivers Himself up for for our sin as we examine Mark 14 verses 44 to 53 and see “Jesus Arrested, Follower Barely Escapes”.

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Mark 14:48-50
And Jesus said to them, “Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest Me, as you would against a robber? Every day I was with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize Me; but this has taken place to fulfill the Scriptures.” And they all left Him and fled.

This mob does not understand the Scriptures nor has no idea they are involved in the fulfillment of Bible prophecy and the promise of Jesus to the disciples in John 18:9 “Of those whom You have given Me I lost not one.” The temple leaders on hand to supervise the arrest foolishly thought they were so clever in accomplishing their purposes with their plots and hired mercenaries to ensure the arrest of the rabbi from Galilee. But Jesus knew in all of this the plans of God were being fulfilled – plans which did not require swords and clubs. God’s power is manifest in weakness. Jesus has extended God’s mercy and forgiveness to sinners and now He is led off to be killed by sinners.

Peter previously told Jesus the disciples had left family and jobs, forsaking all things that they might follow Him. But now, their desire to save their lives causes them to flee into the night. At a time when all hope appears to be lost, Mark reminds us that God’s will is being fulfilled. What is taking place – the betrayal, the arrest and the desertion of the eleven – is all a fulfillment of the Scripture. And despite the darkness of the garden this night, Jesus has promised to be reunited with them in Galilee after His resurrection.

Are you in the darkness of the garden this morning? Maybe you stand with the religious leaders thinking how clever you are as if you were in control of your own plans and destiny. Or maybe you are waking with the disciples, overwhelmed and afraid at what stands around, looking to run. Each of these is vanity; a false thinking that you have outwitted God with your schemes or outrun His grace by your failure. The Lord is still sovereign in all things, and for those who plan against the Lord, He sits in the heavens and laughs (Psalm 2:4), but for those who have come to Him for mercy and grace, He has promised to never leave you nor forsake you (Hebrews 13:6). Truly, what can man do to you?

Sunday – May 26, 2013, “The Essence of Hell”

Posted on May 30, 2013 by PastorAndy

May 26, 2013 – Read the Word on Worship

The Essence of Hell from Sunrise Community Church on Vimeo.

Mark’s record of the Gethsemane scene is the darkest of the four gospels. Matthew’s account describes Jesus’ grief as simply grieving while Luke omits all references to Jesus’ grief entirely. The lack of description in the other gospels has caused many to wonder why Mark includes this description of anguish and wrongly concludes that Jesus suffered from an eleventh hour crisis of nerve. Join us as we look at Mark 14 verses 26 to 42 and learn the lessons of the Garden of Gethsemane and explore the “Essence of Hell” as Jesus prays to His heavenly Father.

Word On Worship – May 26, 2013 Download / Print

Mark 14:33-36
“He took with Him Peter and James and John, and began to be very distressed and troubled. And He said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved to the point of death; remain here and keep watch.” And He went a little beyond them, and fell to the ground and began to pray that if it were possible, the hour might pass Him by. And He was saying, “Abba! Father! All things are possible for You; remove this cup from Me; yet not what I will, but what You will.”

Mark’s record of the Gethsemane scene is the darkest of the four gospels. Matthew’s account describes Jesus’ grief as simply grieving while Luke omits all references to Jesus’ grief entirely. The lack of description in the other gospels has caused many to wonder why Mark includes this description of anguish and wrongly conclude that Jesus suffered from an eleventh hour crisis of nerve. How can Jesus challenge James and John to drink His cup when He now seemly shrinks from it Himself?

If we attempt to discount the strong emotions of Mark’s description then we fail to see that Jesus has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15). Many explanations have been suggested to explain His trembling and tears. Did He know the sins of the world were to be laid upon Him? Maybe it was from contemplating dying by a cursed method of hanging from a tree? Others suggest it was being abandoned by His closest friends when the disciples lose faith and scatter leaving Him alone.

Jesus’ mental torment during the waiting in the garden was yet another temptation He had to face. The suffering Jesus experienced at the beatings and floggings were a physical ordeal. But it is the anxiety of waiting that can make one fall to pieces. Jesus knew infinitely more about the holiness and righteousness of God and what would be required to pay for the sins of the world. Jesus was not worrying about the future as we do. He is not exaggerating possibilities. He knew precisely what the future held. What He anguishes over is exactly what He will experience and knew He must call upon His Father and to entrust Himself to His will.

So what do we get from Mark’s gospel which is not included in the other gospels accounts of the long night of Gethsemane? Mark allows us to see Jesus following His own teaching to the disciples – praying and drawing closer to His Father. Hearing Jesus pray at this moment of great crisis is the example He wants each of us to follow. Satan battles for every human heart and we are hardwired by sin to try to save our own lives. The disciples are no example to us as they flee in the night when Judas changes sides and Peter denies Him publicly. Jesus, our Great High Priest, resolves the anguish by coming to His Father in prayer and obediently submitting to the will of the God.

Sunday – May 19, 2013, Can Good Works Get You to Heaven?

Posted on May 20, 2013 by PastorAndy

May 19, 2013 – Read the Word on Worship

Can Good Works Get You to Heaven? from Sunrise Community Church on Vimeo.

Do you want to go to heaven? Of course you do, who wouldn’t want to go to heaven? But how do plan on getting there? Work a deal with God? Perform some special act of service? Elder Ken McAuley takes us into a thoughtful examination of Galatians 2 and 3 as he examines the basis of our salvation and the natural tendency to gratefully accept salvation by grace, but then seek to fall back on good works to demonstrate your worthiness to enter the Kingdom of God.

Word On Worship – May 19, 2013 Download / Print

(Galatians 2:16)
… a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus.

Often we think that by doing something good we will please God in some way for our personal benefit. Our thought is that we can do something that we consider good and that it will also fall into God’s category of good. Most of the time, we hope that it will result in what we want to accomplish, whether it pleases God or not. In other words, our desire is not primarily to please God, but to get what we want. It may not be something evil, just not focused on God. It may be hypocritical or selfish or designed to draw attention to ourselves and we wonder why our prayers are not answered. Surely God has our interests at heart.

Take Lent, for example. What are we giving up, something evil? Then why don’t we give it up for the rest of our lives? Is it something that we consider needful, a sacrifice, to show God that we depend on Him to supply? Then why don’t we depend on Him to supply all the time? The point is, are we trying to please God or impress someone else of our piety? God knows our heart and He’s not impressed.

Are we trying to work our way into Heaven with our good works? Do you realize that God says in His Word that we are on the wrong track? Our motives are corrupt. Whether you take it from the Psalms 14:1-3 or Romans 3:10-12, the truth about our works of self-righteousness remains the same. Everything we generate from our own thinking is tainted in some way, and ultimately falls short when it comes to His righteousness or goodness (Romans 3:23). But He has a fix for this dilemma.

Did you ever give any thought as to why Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of the Almighty God had to go through all that torture and shame and death? Because in God’s way of thinking, there was no other way! Jesus Christ was the perfect sacrifice, as a human, for our sin because He was without sin. Because Jesus Christ was without sin He satisfied the requirement of a Holy God to pay the just consequence for our sin. The only thing He requires from us is to believe that to be true and place our trust in what Christ did, not in anything we can do. He then places His Spirit within us to inspire us to do things that are truly good. Then getting into Heaven is no longer an issue because of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. But our works, whether good or not so good, testify of our relationship to Him and can affect how we live there.

Sunday May 12, 2013, Mother’s Day: Et Tu Mommy?

Posted on May 14, 2013 by PastorAndy

May 12, 2013 – Read the Word on Worship

Mother’s Day 2013: Et Tu Mommy? from Sunrise Community Church on Vimeo.

It is very easy for many to speak in glowing terms about their mother’s especially on Mother’s Day. But what about those who see Mother’s Day as a painful reminder? How does the young woman who has had an abortion or the young man who has know idea of what a father looks like because so many men have passed through their home because his mother’s immorality celebrate Mother’s Day? Jesus offers to call everyone who believes into a new family, a closer family, than any earthly experience we may have. Join us this week as we look at Jesus teaching on who is His mother and who are His brothers and sisters from Matthew 12 verses 46 to 50.

Word On Worship – May 12, 2013 Download / Print

Matthew 12:48-50
“But Jesus answered the one who was telling Him and said, “Who is My mother and who are My brothers?” And stretching out His hand toward His disciples, He said, “Behold My mother and My brothers! “For whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven, he is My brother and sister and mother.”

Every news story we read or see on television seems to hinge on morality. Whether the issue is over homosexual marriage, immigration reform, health care, or even taxation (even sugary drinks and obesity are now issues of morality in our state), there are denomination and special interest groups which have become very visible and very vocal in promoting their agendas. Even evangelicals have become active in proclaiming morality, patriotism, and fidelity to traditional American values. And so everyone, from the left to the right, is trying to grab the ear of a legislator to turn the morality of the nation in a direction they approve.

As Christians, we must be concerned about moral and ethical issues. God’s Word is unequivocal in its standards of righteous living, justice and social responsibility and we should reflect that same standard. But morality cannot be separated from a right relationship to God. In fact the Scriptures give us many examples of the dangers of morality separated from right relationship from God such as the Pharisees. They were committed to the highest human standard of religion and ethics and were so convinced of their self-righteousness that when God Himself lived amongst them they rejected Him and crucified Him. Their acts of morality only cleaned the outside of the cup, but never brought regeneration or redemption of the soul.

Being rightly related to Christ, however, requires more than self righteousness or a verbal promise of loyalty to God. Jesus warned the disciples in the Sermon on the Mount that “not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 7:21) In fact many of these same people will point to incredible deeds and miracles they may even attribute to God. But these works of righteousness were not accompanied with a right relationship to the Lord. A saving relationship with Jesus Christ only comes from a submitting to Him and receiving the gift of salvation He offers.

Morality changes the outside of a person, in its best sense, but in some cases, it is barrier to the changes required of the heart. A right relationship with Jesus Christ brings about new life, both inside and outside. The central truth of the Scriptures is that Jesus Christ came to the earth to save sinners, which requires transformation not merely reformation. The message of the gospel, and also of the church, is not a call to clean living for the sake of morality, but a call to deliverance from sin through the atoning work of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Sunday – May 5, 2013, “Promises, Promises”

Posted on May 7, 2013 by PastorAndy

May 5, 2013 – Read the Word on Worship

Promises, Promises from Sunrise Community Church on Vimeo.

We are often told about the faithfulness of God and the promises He has made to the believer, but how certain are you about these promises made to you. It is one thing to believe these promises made to the church from a generic sense, but it is another to realize these promises were given to you. Join Elder Ken McAuley as he examines the faithfulness of God and how that is pictured in the marriage relationship from his study on Matthew 19 verese 1 to 12 and Jeremiah 6.

Word On Worship – May 5, 2013 Download / Print

Gal. 3:21-22
Is the Law then contrary to the promises of God? May it never be! For if a law had been given which was able to impart life, then righteousness would indeed have been based on law. But the Scripture has shut up everyone under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.

I promise. What does that mean to you? Does it have built-in conditions or provisions that one is supposed to expect? Or, is it unconditional and you intend to keep it no matter what? Usually it is something in between. You intend to keep it, but there might be circumstances that might keep you from fulfilling it. It’s like a handshake. It might mean that your word is for sure, but if it isn’t in writing, it might not hold up in court.

It seems as though we don’t care about our promises anymore unless it’s convenient. It used to be that we would fight if someone called into question something that we said. It’s sad that our word can’t be taken at face value anymore. Jesus told us that our yes should be yes and our no, no. In other words I think we should give more thought to what we say so that we don’t have to go back on our word so easily.

Our marriage vows are like that. We promise to love and to cherish, no matter what, until death. But prior to saying our vows we make prenuptial agreements that look forward to the failure of our marriage for any reason at all. What a sad commentary on today’s society. Why don’t we make plans to stay together and nurture our relationship in every possible way? If we did, our children wouldn’t have to go through counseling the rest of their lives because they imagine that somehow they were the cause of our breakup when it was only because of our own selfishness. The reasons for divorce may sound good at a given time because one or both parties have been hurt or angered, but there is nothing that can’t be remedied if divorce wasn’t so easy and commitment so weak.

What if Jesus had told His Father, God, that He didn’t want to go through the pain and suffering of the cross because we, the people whom He had created with whom to have fellowship, had no integrity? They couldn’t keep their promises so why should God keep His? His Father would have simply reminded Him that they, we, needed someone to be the example and show the way. After all, He created us, not the other way around. He promised to redeem us from death that leads to Hell, and He kept His promise even though it cost the death of His only begotten Son. Have you received the Gift that He has provided at such great cost? That is the only way to have fellowship with Him in His Heaven. We are incapable of getting to that place by our own efforts, no matter how good we are.

Sunday – April 28, 2013, “How Do You Understand Old Testament Prophecy?”

Posted on April 30, 2013 by PastorAndy

April 28, 2013 – Read the Word on Worship

How Do You Understand Old Testament Prophecy? from Sunrise Community Church on Vimeo.

Everyone seems to have a opinion when it comes to the Scripture. Depending on where they went to school or what denomination they come from, opinions run all over, especially when it comes to Old Testament prophecy. So how do you know who is right? Even more, how can you understand for yourself what oes the Bible teach? Elder Thom Rachford takes us through Zechariah 12 breaking down the text so everyone can see for themselves what God is foretelling and explains simple questions you can ask for yourself as to the meaning and the purpose of God’s plan for His people.

Word On Worship – April 28, 2013 Download / Print

II Timothy 16-17
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

Often we can read God’s Word and come to certain conclusions about what it says and what it means to us. The process of looking into God’s Word to reach conclusions about His plans is the natural process the Lord has set up. He has given us the inner desire to know him and he has chosen to reveal himself and His plans for us through His scripture as we spend time in it.

We know the Lord usually does not reveal everything in only one section of scripture. He usually does not outline His plan or spiritual principle by listing step one in detail, then step two in detail, step three in detail, and so on. Frequently the steps or concepts are found in various portions of scripture and the whole of scripture has to be studied to fully grasp what the Lord is saying and what he wants in response from us.

This is good. For as, humans in this time in history, we tend to want it all wrapped up in one short package that we can consume in a very short time. In His wisdom the Lord has placed portions of His plans in various places. This requires us to fully study the complete message of God if we want to understand His communications.

Sometimes we approach God’s Word with pre-conceived ideas about His plan. These ideas may come from well-meaning counselors or even false teachers who want to make their comments sound good. More often preconceived ideas come from our own desires, fears, or human “wisdom.” We like what makes us feel good or seems to be an easy way or builds up pride in our own abilities or deeds. Then it is easy to find those passages or individual scriptures that support our view or seem to support our foregone conclusions. When we don’t find specific passages to support these conclusions we may distort or misquote the scripture to make them appear to support. Once we think we have the answers, human nature prompts us to not seek any further scriptural truth about the subject. This is the way heresy, false teaching and apostasy gain prominence and control. And in turn, the heresy, false teaching, and apostasy lead further away from studying the totality of scripture. It is a downward spiral.

The antidote to the downward spiral of erroneous views or incorrect interpretation is daily study of God’s word accompanied by prayer. Daily study has some conditions. First, ask the Lord to clear away our misconceptions and to reveal His truth in the scriptures even when the revelation does not agree with what we had made up as truth in our mind. Second, the daily study must eventually include all the scriptures, even those that seem boring or dealing with Old Testament actions or less than interesting genealogies. Third, we must take God’s Word as literal unless it is clearly allegorical or symbolic. We must take scripture literally even when the scripture seems to defy the rules of nature. Our God is the creator of nature and nature’s laws and can and does overrule them when it suits His purpose. He is, after all, the God of miracles. Daily study of the Word will lead us to a right view of God, His plan for relationship with man, our salvation, growth and blessing.

Sunday – April 21, 2013, “Remember, Obey and Be Thankful”

Posted on April 22, 2013 by PastorAndy

April 21, 2013 – Read the Word on Worship

Remember, Obey and Be Thankful from Sunrise Community Church on Vimeo.

Does it seem like your walk with the Lord is a boring repetition of that actions day in and day out? It certainly must have felt that way for Israel during their 40 years in the Wilderness. For 40 years they ate the same food, worn the same clothing that did not wear out and followed the same commands of God. It was so easy for them to forget why they were doing the things they were doing. And it is the same with you and I. We fail to remember the faithfulness of God and then begin to disobey thinking all we have is from our effort and innovation only to fail to be thankful for the grace and provision of God. Join Elder Ken McAuley in this insightful journey through Deuteronomy 8 and take this important reminder to heart.

Word On Worship – April 21, 2013 Download / Print

Deuteronomy 8:1-2
“All the commandments that I am commanding you today you shall be careful to do, that you may live and multiply, and go in and possess the land which the LORD swore to give to your forefathers. “You shall remember all the way which the LORD your God has led you in the wilderness these forty years, that He might humble you, testing you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not.

God wanted to know whether or not His people would pay attention to Him. He is still doing the same thing today. He leads us into and through tough times to see if we will turn our attention to Him. He promised to lead them into a rich land full of milk and honey if they would keep His commandments. They didn’t pass the test and spent 40 years wandering around in the wilderness. He used those 40 years to try to get their attention so that they would teach their children to do what they refused to do, trust in the Lord their God.

How many years will it take the Lord our God to get our attention as He takes us through rough places in our lives until we realize that we can’t always do on our own what it takes to provide for our families, make our business successful, win that tournament, etc. Sometimes even our friends can’t help. He only wants us to acknowledge Him so that He can give us His blessing. It may not be what we want and how we want it, but it will be better than we could have imagined in the long run.

God provided water out of a rock (unexpected), clothing that did not wear out (unexpected), manna and quail for food (unexpected). What do you suppose He could do for you in your circumstance? Does it have to be what you would expect? He doesn’t have to operate within the box. All He wants you to do is keep His commandments. Jesus said, “you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:30-31) That sums up the 10 commandments for us today if we will listen to Him.

God provided His sacrifice to provide redemption for us who don’t even know we need it. The wanderers in the wilderness needed it and offered sacrifices for their sin as the Lord their God demanded so that He could deal with them. Without those sacrifices He would not have been able to even look upon them because of His righteousness. It is the same today. We need to realize that we need salvation from the wilderness of Hell that we are doomed for if we don’t acknowledge that God has provided the only way that works for Him. And He is the God of Heaven. Jesus Christ is “the Way, the Truth, and the Life, no one comes to the Father except through Him” (John 14:6). If you can accept this, then your hope is to dwell with the Father in Heaven (our promised land) for Eternity. This message is for the people of God. Are you included?

Elder Ken McAuley

Sunday – March 31, 2013 – Lessons from the Empty Tomb

Posted on April 4, 2013 by PastorAndy

March 31, 2013 – Read the Word on Worship

Easter 2013: Lessons from the Empty Tomb from Sunrise Community Church on Vimeo.

It is very easy to read the story of the women at the tomb of our Lord and to expect a very different message from the angels. When I consider my shortcomings and lack of faith, I hear the angels prepare a word of rebuke at why these women failed to take Jesus at His word at rising again on the third day. How many other things has Jesus spoken to us in the gospels that we acknowledge as Scripture but still fail to truly take Jesus at His word?
Join us this Resurrection Sunday at we “Learn From the Empty Tomb” lessons on taking Jesus at His word for life and living from the Gospel of John 20 verses 1 to 18.

Word On Worship – March 31, 2013 Download / Print

John 20:11-13
“But Mary was standing outside the tomb weeping; and so, as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had been lying. And they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?”

This is a teachable moment in the lives of these women, just as you and I have teachable moments when the Lord calls us closer to look and see, testing for ourselves that the validity of His promises is sure and not to throw away our confidence which yields great reward. Jesus is no longer in the tomb, but the evidence remains — the linen wrappings lying there with the face cloth rolled up to the side. No disciple has come to remove the body or any enemy to pillage the tomb. Jesus has yet again kept His word.

There is a time to believe the promises of God as a child believes a parent when told to be ready for school in the morning. But there comes a time when each one of us must learn by faith to believe the Word of God is unfailingly true. We will experience the prick of our doubts, just as the women must have felt when the angels reminded them in Matthew 28:6 “He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said.” This resurrection Sunday is the day for us to move forward, past our previous doubts and failures, into the realm of faith. Not understanding how God will do what He has promised, but believing He who has promised is faithful, and will bring it to pass for our good and His glory.

For the church to believe Jesus rose from the dead is fine, but it is not enough. We need to personally understand what kind of Savior rose from the dead. He is the same loving Redeemer who healed the sick, comforted the mourning and died for the sinner. That is the Savior who now calls us to share with others — the news Jesus Christ has risen — just as He said. He laid down His life so we could share in the inheritance as members of His family, if we believe as John did that first morning when he entered the tomb and saw and believed.

Sunday – March 24 2013, “How to Ruin a Dinner Party”

Posted on March 26, 2013 by PastorAndy

March 24 2013 – Read the Word on Worship

How to Ruin a Dinner Party from Sunrise Community Church on Vimeo.

Do not let the Lord’s Table become more of an opportunity to examine your watch than your heart. We are more focused on schedules in our hurried lifestyles than we are concerned about how we may have betrayed our Lord this past week or how we might betray Him next week. Each of us should humbly contemplate our lives and consider all the ways, big and small, we have betrayed the Lord and confess such weakness. If one of the twelve who spent three years with Jesus could betray the Lord, every Christian has that potential.
Join us tomorrow as we continue our study of the Gospel of Mark 14 and see “How to Ruin a Dinner Party”.

Word On Worship – March 24 2013 Download / Print

Mark 14:22-24
“While they were eating, He took some bread, and after a blessing He broke it, and gave it to them, and said, “Take it; this is My body.” And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, and they all drank from it. And He said to them, “This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many.”

The eating of the bread and the drinking of the cup is not a magic ritual. Its consumption brings no automatic guarantee of salvation. If Judas participated in the meal, and there is no indication in the passage that he did not, then eating the bread and drinking the cup must be internalized for it to be of saving value. The new covenant must be written on the hearts of God’s people, not completed by ritual in a stain glassed building. This is not the food of immortality, but a public proclamation of the Lord’s death until He returns.

When we come to this table, we are to examine ourselves just as the original disciples did. The Last Supper was not a sacrament of blessing, but a night of high tension and sweaty palms. Jesus had told them one who sat at the table would betray Him. The gathered disciples did not single out Judas as the guilty party, but rather looked to themselves and asked if it were them. Self examination, not cross examination, is Paul’s exhortation to us in 1^st Corinthians 11:27-29 when we gather to partake in this meal. We are only worthy of the Lord’s Supper when we recognize how unworthy we are. Its power is seen when we recognize Jesus has died for us and accepts us in spite of our unworthiness.

Yes, Judas was the one at the table guilty of treason, but none of the disciples are above reproach. Each of them will prove themselves to be an unfaithful servant before the night is done. In truth, the remaining eleven were concerned about themselves. We are no different in our egocentric approach to the table. Our separation and isolation from each other stands revealed before the bread and the cup. The Last Supper calls us to imitate Christ’s self-sacrificing love and should be a moment when we look to heal the breaks in our fellowship.

Sunrise Community Church

Jesus is THE Way, not only a statement of faith; the way of life.

Author Archives: PastorAndy